I-Microplastic: Ipulasitiki engapheli

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• April 21, 2023

Ama-Microplastics, okuyizinhlayiya zepulasitiki ezincane, asesakazeke kabanzi, okuholela ekukhathazekeni ngomthelela wawo ongaba khona ezinhlelweni zemvelo nempilo yabantu. Ucwaningo lwakamuva lwembule ukuthi ama-microplastics ahlanganiswa endaweni ezungezile futhi athuthwa ngemijikelezo yomoya neyamanzi. Lo mkhuba ukhulise ukuchayeka kwezinto eziphilayo kuma-microplastic futhi wenza kube nzima ukuqukatha ukusabalala kwawo.

Umongo we-Microplastics

Izikhwama zepulasitiki namabhodlela, izingubo zokwenziwa, amathayi, nopende, phakathi kokunye, kuhlakazeka kube ama-microplastic, angahlala emoyeni isikhathi esingangesonto. Ngalesi sikhathi, umoya ungabayisa emazwenikazi nasezilwandle. Lapho amagagasi efika ogwini, amaconsi amanzi agcwele ama-microplastics athululelwa phezulu emoyeni, lapho ahwamuka khona futhi akhiphe lezi zinhlayiya. Ngokufanayo, ukunyakaza kwamathayi kubangela ukuthi ama-flecks anepulasitiki ahambe emoyeni. Njengoba imvula ina, ifu lezinhlayiyana lihlala phansi. Khonamanjalo, izitshalo zokuhlunga eziphatha imfucuza yasemadolobheni futhi ziyifake kumanyolo zinama-microplastics avaleleke odaka. Lawa ma-fertiliser wona awadlulisele emhlabathini, lapho engena khona ochungechungeni lokudla.  

Amandla omoya namaza olwandle afake ama-microplastics ajula emhlabeni nasolwandle, ngisho nasezinhlelweni ezibucayi nezivikelekile. Ngaphezulu kwamathani amamethrikhi ayi-1,000 awela ezindaweni ezivikelekile eziyi-11 e-US minyaka yonke, ngokwesibonelo. Ama-Microplastic abuye athwale amagciwane, amagciwane, namakhemikhali, futhi ukuwachaya endaweni ezungezile ebucayi kungalimaza. 

Imiphumela yalezi zinto ezingcolisayo ibonakala ezidalweni ezincane ezidla izinto eziphilayo ezincane. Njengoba ama-microplastics engena emaketangeni awo okudla, athatha ubuthi kanye nokudla kwawo. Ama-Microplastics angathinta izinhlelo zawo zokugaya nokuzala, kusukela ezikelemu kuya kwezinkalankala kuya kumagundane. Ukwengeza, ama-microplastics ahlukana abe amapulasitiki e-nano, imishini yamanje engakwazi ukuyibona. 

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Njengoba ukukhathazeka ngomthelela wemvelo wokukhiqizwa kwepulasitiki kuqhubeka nokukhula, ukukhala komphakathi ngokwehluleka ukunqanda ukukhiqizwa kwepulasitiki kungenzeka kwande. Lo mkhuba uzoholela ekugxilweni okuvuselelwe ekushintsheni ezintweni ezisimeme, ezigaywa kabusha. Umkhakha womkhiqizo wepulasitiki olahlwayo, osetshenziswa kanye kuphela kulindeleke ukuthi uthinteke kakhulu njengoba abathengi beya ngokuya benqaba le mikhiqizo bekhetha ezinye izindlela ezivumelana nemvelo. Lolu shintsho ekuziphatheni kwabathengi seluqala ukuba nomthelela emakethe, njengoba ezinye izinkampani ezinkulu zimemezela izinhlelo zokuqeda amapulasitiki asetshenziswa kanye.

Enye imboni engase ibhekwe kakhulu imfashini esheshayo. Njengoba abathengi beqaphela kakhulu umthelela wemvelo wokukhiqizwa kwendwangu, kungenzeka baqale ukufuna izingubo ezisekelwe esitshalweni njengendlela eqhubekayo esimeme. Kodwa-ke, lolu shintsho kulindeleke ukuthi lube yinselele ezinkampanini eziningi, futhi imisebenzi kuwo wonke umkhakha ingase ithinteke.

Ngaleso sikhathi, imboni kapende ingase futhi ibhekane nomthetho okhulisiwe ukuvimbela ukwakheka kwama-microbeads. Ama-Microbead ayizinhlayiya zepulasitiki ezincane ezingagcina zisezindleleni zamanzi futhi kuboniswe ukuthi nomthelela ongemuhle ezintweni eziphilayo zasemanzini. Ngenxa yalokho, kungase kube khona ukucindezela kokuvinjelwa kopende bezifutho abaqukethe ubuhlalu obuncane, okungaba nomthelela omkhulu embonini.

Nakuba lezi zinguquko zingase zibe nezinselele, akhona namathuba okukhula kanye nokusungula izinto ezintsha. I-Bioplastics nezinye izimboni ezikhiqiza izinto ezisimeme kungenzeka zibone ukwanda kwesidingo, futhi ucwaningo lwezinto eziluhlaza lungathola imali eyengeziwe. Ekugcineni, umnyakazo oya ekusaseni elizinzile uzodinga ukusebenzisana phakathi kwezimboni, uhulumeni, kanye nabathengi. 

Imiphumela ye-microplastics

Imithelela ebanzi yokungcoliswa kwe-microplastic ingabandakanya:

• Imithetho kahulumeni mayelana nokukhiqizwa kwepulasitiki kanye nokwenyuka kwekhwelo lokugaywa kabusha.
• Ukuguqulwa okungalindelekile kokuphila kwe-microbial ecosystem, amaphethini okunyakaza kwamanzi angaphansi komhlaba, nemijikelezo yezakhi.
• Imithelela ekukhiqizweni komoyampilo njengenani labantu be-oceanic plankton iyathinteka ngenxa yokungenwa ubuthi.
• Iyanda imiphumela engemihle ezimbonini zokudoba nezokuvakasha, ezincike ezinhlelweni zemvelo ezinempilo.
• Ukuphuza amanzi noma ukungcoliswa kokudla okunomthelela empilweni yomphakathi kanye nokwenyusa izindleko zokunakekelwa kwezempilo.
• Ingqalasizinda eyonakele, njengezindawo zokuhlanza amanzi, okuholela ekulungiseni okubizayo.
• Ukwenyuka kwezinqubomgomo zokulawula nezemvelo.
• Abantu emazweni asathuthuka baba sengozini enkulu emiphumeleni eyingozi yokungcoliswa kwe-microplastic ngenxa yokuntuleka kwengqalasizinda nezinsiza.
• Abasebenzi ezimbonini ezikhiqiza noma ezilahla imikhiqizo yepulasitiki enengozi eyengeziwe yokuchayeka kuma-microplastics.
• Amasu amasha ekulawuleni imfucuza kanye nobuchwepheshe bokusebenzisa kabusha ukuze kuncishiswe ukungcoliswa kwe-microplastic.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ucabanga ukuthi inkinga ye-microplastic ingaxazululwa kanjani?
• Ohulumeni bangazilawula kanjani kangcono izimboni ezikhiqiza ama-microplastic?